A measure of dispersion that uses the largest and smallest measurements of a sampling is the?

A measure of dispersion that uses the largest and smallest measurements of a sampling is the?

• A. Median
• B. Variance
• C. Standard deviation
• D. Range

Answer: (D)

The range is defined as the difference between the largest and smallest values in a set of data. It provides a simple measure of dispersion, indicating how spread out the values are within a sample. By capturing only the extreme values, the range effectively highlights the extent of variation present without considering the distribution of the data points in between. In contrast, other measures such as the median, variance, and standard deviation assess dispersion in different ways. The median identifies the middle value of a data set, while variance and standard deviation quantify the average squared deviation of each data point from the mean, providing a deeper insight into the data's overall distribution. However, none of these alternatives directly correspond to the calculation based solely on the maximum and minimum values, making the range the most appropriate choice for this question.

The range is defined as the difference between the largest and smallest values in a set of data. It provides a simple measure of dispersion, indicating how spread out the values are within a sample. By capturing only the extreme values, the range effectively highlights the extent of variation present without considering the distribution of the data points in between.

In contrast, other measures such as the median, variance, and standard deviation assess dispersion in different ways. The median identifies the middle value of a data set, while variance and standard deviation quantify the average squared deviation of each data point from the mean, providing a deeper insight into the data's overall distribution. However, none of these alternatives directly correspond to the calculation based solely on the maximum and minimum values, making the range the most appropriate choice for this question.